


Happy Valenklaine's Day 2019

by ItsNotEasyBeingQueen



Category: Glee
Genre: AU!Klaine, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-20 19:43:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 12,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17628497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsNotEasyBeingQueen/pseuds/ItsNotEasyBeingQueen
Summary: My collection of Klaine one-shots for the 2019 Klaine CrissColfer Valentine's Challenge.





	1. Take a Chance on Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, all!  I’m super-excited to be doing the Klaine Valentine’s Day Challenge again this year.  Hope you enjoy! 

Day 1: Take a Chance on Me (Abba)

“Morning, Kurt!”

Kurt looked up from his desk at the boisterous greeting.  He couldn’t help but break out into a wide grin at the sight of his very chipper friend and co-worker, Blaine.

“And a good morning to you.  What has you so extra-bouncy this morning?” he replied.

“Well,” Blaine walked around the desk to Kurt’s side, perching himself on the edge of the desk and peering around conspiratorially before leaning in close.  “I have in this folder something _very_ exciting and dangerous.  I’ll share with you, but you have to _promise_ to keep it on the DL.”  He clutched a manila folder tightly to his chest and had dropped his voice to a stage whisper.

Kurt could barely contain his laughter.  “On the DL, Blaine?  Really?”

Blaine broke character, leaning back and dropping his shoulders.  “Aw, come on, Kurt.  You’re no fun,” he pouted.

“Ok, ok.  Fine.  Show me the contraband, Lefty.  I promise not to squeal to the cops,” Kurt said with an old-school gangster drawl.

Looking around furtively once more, Blaine put the folder down on the desk and flipped it open dramatically. 

Kurt studied the piece of paper inside the folder.  His brow furrowed in confusion as he tilted his head one way and then the other.  “Um, what exactly am I looking at?” Kurt asked, pointing at the blank grid on the page in front of him.

“Superbowl Squares!” Blaine exclaimed, far too loudly for someone who was supposed to be hiding something.  At Kurt’s blank expression, Blaine realized some additional explanation would be necessary.  He hopped off the edge of the desk and turned around, leaning down close to Kurt. 

“It works like this.  You see, we have the name of one of the teams written across the top, and the other written along the left side,” he said, indicating each team’s name with his finger, brushing his arm against Kurt’s in the process.  “You pick a square, or two, if you like, and write your name in it.  Then, once all the squares are filled, Jeff and I will randomly draw numbers from zero to nine and write them across the top and down the side.  At the end of the game, if the teams’ scores end in the two numbers that match your square, you win!”

When he was finished with his tutorial, he turned to look at Kurt.  His breath caught in his throat with a little “Oh,” as he realized just how close they were.  As he retreated to a more respectable distance, he couldn’t help but notice the faint flush on Kurt’s cheeks that he was sure hadn’t been there a moment earlier.

Kurt cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly in his chair, turning his attention to the empty squares as if they held the answers to the secrets of the universe.  “Um, oh…okay, yeah,” he muttered.  He smoothed a non-existent wrinkle out of the corner of the page and asked, “So what is it I’ll win if I play?”

“It’s $5.00 per square to play, and we’re selling 100 squares, so the winner gets $500.00!  Isn’t that great?” Blaine proclaimed proudly.

Kurt glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.  “Isn’t that illegal?”

Blaine chuckled.  “Relax, Kurt.  It’s an American tradition.”  He produced a pen from his pocket with a flourish, holding it out to Kurt.  “Go ahead.  Take a chance,” he whispered.

Kurt stared up at Blaine, locking eyes with him.  After a moment, he smiled slowly and took the pen without breaking eye contact.  “Okay, Blaine.  But if the feds come after me, I won’t hesitate to sing like a canary.”  Returning his attention to the paper, he twirled the pen a couple of times before choosing a space and writing his name boldly across it.  He handed the folder, the pen, and a $5.00 bill from his wallet over to Blaine.

“Does this make you my bookie now?” he questioned cheekily. 

Blaine answered with a wink that made Kurt blush once more.  He started to leave, but then spun around abruptly as he remembered one other question.  “I’m going to see you at Jeff’s Superbowl party on Sunday, right?”

Kurt’s face fell momentarily before he schooled his features.  “Oh, um, no, I don’t think so,” he replied.  “To be honest, I had my fill of football back in Ohio, and I decided that I didn’t need to subject myself to it anymore.  It’s just not my thing, you know?”

Blaine couldn’t help but let his disappointment show.  “But it won’t be the same without you,” he whined.

Kurt sighed, battling with himself.  Truly, there was nothing he’d enjoy less than spending an evening watching a football game.  But if Blaine was going to be there…

“You know,” Blaine mused aloud, moving back to sit on the edge of the desk once more, “I’m not necessarily all that excited about the game, either.”

“Blaine, you were all hyper about the Superbowl Squares _five_ seconds ago,” Kurt retorted incredulously.

“Sure, that part is fun,” he shrugged, “and I like the food, and being with people, and some of the commercials, but as for the game itself?  I don’t actually like either team, and I’m not rooting for one over the other.  So, what do you say you come over to my place instead?  We’ll make some awesome appetizers, play some board games, and keep the TV on in the background to watch the commercials and the halftime show?”

Kurt turned in his chair to face Blaine directly.  “I can’t have you do that, Blaine.  You’ll miss the party!  You go; I’ll be fine.  Honest.  It’s not like I’m spending Christmas alone or anything.  It’s no big deal.”

“Kurt,” Blaine placed his hand over Kurt’s where it lay on the desk, cheering internally when Kurt didn’t try to pull away, “believe me when I say that spending the evening playing games with you sounds much more fun to me than going to that party.  I mean it,” he insisted, slightly curling his fingers around Kurt’s hand, nearly holding it properly now.  He smiled softly and echoed his prior statement.  “Go ahead.  Take a chance.”  _On me_ , he added to himself.

The bright smile on Kurt’s face was enough of an answer for Blaine.

Later that afternoon, Blaine caught up with Jeff to hand over the completed sheet of squares.  “Here you go, Jeff.  Oh, by the way, I won’t be able to make it to the party after all.”

“What?  Why?” Jeff complained.

Blaine didn’t want to tell Jeff the reason for his change of plans, not yet.  “I’m sorry, but an opportunity of a lifetime arose and I couldn’t pass it up.”

Jeff laughed.  “Geez, when you put it like that…”  He playfully fake-punched Blaine in the shoulder.  “Whatever, man.  Won’t be the same without you.  All I know is that you’re going to miss out on the best night ever!” he hollered over his shoulder as he walked away.

Blaine shook his head and wandered back towards his desk, catching Kurt’s eye across the office.  He waved, and nearly tripped over his own feet at the adorable little wave Kurt sent back.  Missing out on the best night ever?  “Don’t bet on it,” he whispered to himself.


	2. Take My Breath Away

Kurt wended his way through the backstage maze, greeting a couple of stagehands as they headed out for the night.  He loved the hustle and bustle of a theater before a performance, but had a special place in his heart for times like this when it was quiet and empty.  He thought about clichés he’d heard about the spirit of the theater or feeling the theater breathe – they kind of made sense in this moment.

He wasn’t entirely alone in the building, however, and the object of his search finally came into view.  He paused at the edge of the curtain, watching Blaine as he stepped lightly across the boards.  He recognized bits and pieces of choreography from the opening number, and could just barely hear Blaine humming the tune under his breath.

After one particular jump/spin move, a memory flashed into Kurt’s mind.  He recalled another stage, with a young man in a striped shirt twirling in the air after a performance.  He was struck by how much the boy had changed, and yet how much he was still the same.

Deciding to finally make his presence known, Kurt walked out from behind the curtain, letting the hard soles of his boots clap against the wooden floor.  Blaine looked up, waved, and continued with one more step sequence as Kurt approached.

“This takes me back,” Kurt said, laying a hand lightly on Blaine’s arm and kissing his cheek when he’d stopped dancing.

Blaine laughed quietly, understanding the reference immediately.  “I guess some things never change, huh?  Fifteen years later and I’m still messing up this move.”

“Oh, stop it,” Kurt chided, tapping his arm playfully.  “You have this down pat now, just like you did then.  You don’t need to be worried.  You’re going to be great tomorrow night.”

“Thanks, Kurt.  I guess I’ve got a bit of opening night jitters,” Blaine admitted. 

Kurt stepped in and draped his arms around Blaine’s neck the same way he had done all those years ago.  He smiled when Blaine’s arms instinctively wrapped around him.  They kissed lightly, resting their foreheads together when they parted.  “You still take my breath away,” Kurt murmured, a little breathlessly if he was being honest.

They stood there for a couple of minutes, holding one another and remembering that night so many years ago.  The odds hadn’t been in their favor, in so many ways, but here they were, still together and stronger than ever. 

Blaine pulled back first, gliding his hands along Kurt’s arms and taking his hands.  “We should probably get going,” he said reluctantly. 

Kurt nodded in agreement, but stepped closer, his hands still clasped with Blaine’s and their chests faintly touching.  “I wanna go to your house,” he whispered, echoing that pivotal moment in their relationship.  It might have come off as cheesy or humorous if the look in his eyes hadn’t been one of pure love and endless devotion. 

Blaine bit his lip, holding back the tear that suddenly threatened to fall due to the rush of unexpected emotion.  “ _Our_ house,” he corrected.

Kurt smiled softly and nodded.  “Yeah, _our_ house.”

The two walked slowly off the stage, arms and hearts entwined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every time I tried to flesh this out more, it felt like it took away from the story somehow, so I kept it simple. 


	3. I Could Fall In Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of Day 1:  Take a Chance on Me.  Recap: Blaine and Kurt are co-workers, get to talking over Superbowl Squares, and end up agreeing that Kurt will go to Blaine’s apartment for non-traditional Superbowl Sunday instead of going to another co-worker’s party.  And that’s what you missed on Glee.

 

Kurt was in big trouble.

What was he thinking when he accepted Blaine’s invitation?  He knew exactly what he’d been thinking, actually.  He’d been thinking that he couldn’t believe how close Blaine was or how good he smelled or how beautiful his eyes were…

Kurt shook himself out of his reverie and made himself focus on his reflection in the mirror.  After four days of freaking out, it was nearly time to leave, and he wanted to be sure he looked perfect.  Deciding what to wear had been a chore, but he finally settled on a pair of skinny jeans, a soft cashmere sweater, and his Doc Martens.  It was a sports-related event, so he wanted to be somewhat casual.  It wasn’t like he was going on a date.

Was he? 

With a rush of panic Kurt realized for the first time that this _might_ , in fact, be a date.  Blaine asked him over to his house for the evening.  It wasn’t a party, per se, because he didn’t invite anyone else.  Just Kurt.  Just Kurt and Blaine.  Alone. 

Kurt found himself somewhere between flailing in excitement and hyperventilating from anxiety.  He couldn’t lie and say he hadn’t thought about what it would be like to go out with Blaine.  They’d talked quite a bit at the office since Kurt arrived couple of months ago, and more recently, started going to lunch together nearly every day.  There never seemed to be a lull in conversation, and Kurt didn’t think he’d ever laughed as much as he did when he was with Blaine – Blaine with his beautiful eyes, and gorgeous voice, and kind smile.  Blaine, who Kurt could so easily fall in lo…

Yes, certain warm feelings had begun to bloom in Kurt’s heart, but he carefully tucked them away.  He couldn’t be sure how Blaine felt.  He was so friendly to everyone.  Maybe Kurt was making it all up in his head?  It wasn’t like _that_ would be a first.

A glance at the clock told Kurt it was absolutely time to leave if he wanted to be at Blaine’s on time.  Grabbing his coat and scarf, he gave himself a little pep talk aloud on the way out the door.

“Okay.  You’re going to be calm, and take your cues from him.  Don’t overanalyze things, don’t assume anything.  Just have fun.  Right.”  Pulling the door shut behind him, his inner voice added, _And if the evening happens to be magical and you both fall hopelessly in love with each other, that’ll be all right, too._

Kurt shook his head as he walked down the hallway to the stairs.  “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Kurt,” he mumbled.

xoxoxo

Blaine was in so much trouble.

What was he thinking, inviting Kurt over – alone – to watch/not watch the Superbowl?  Oh, he knew exactly what he’d been thinking.  He’d been thinking how stunning Kurt looked, and how adorable he was when he didn’t know what the Superbowl Squares were, and how uninteresting Jeff’s party suddenly seemed when he found out Kurt wouldn’t be there…

A buzz from the kitchen timer interrupted his train of thought.  Hurrying to take the tray of cookies out of the oven, he set them aside to cool and slipped off the apron he’d put on to protect his clothes.  He stepped over to the mirror in the hallway and gave himself a onceover, smoothing out any wrinkles.  He had on a pair of snug corduroys with a button-down shirt and a cardigan sweater.  The idea of wearing a football jersey had crossed his mind, but he immediately dismissed it.  First, the whole point of this evening was to de-emphasize football; second, he wanted to look his best for Kurt.  After all, this was going to be their first date.

Wasn’t it?  Blaine’s heart stopped as he wondered if he’d made it clear to Kurt that this was a date.  He hoped that his actions had made his intentions obvious. 

Kurt had entranced Blaine from the day he walked into the office a couple of months ago.  Blaine remembered nearly falling off his chair when HR walked Kurt around for introductions (and the extended teasing he’d received from Jeff later).  Over the next several weeks, Blaine made a point of striking up conversations with Kurt, and was thrilled to find that the man was as lovely on the inside as he was on the outside.  One shared lunch had turned to two, and then quickly become a daily ritual between them, much to Blaine’s delight. 

The only hesitation on Blaine’s part was the fear of the dreaded “office romance gone wrong.”  What if they tried and it didn’t work out?  Blaine wasn’t sure he would be able to handle seeing Kurt every day if that happened. 

When Kurt said he wasn’t going to Jeff’s party, the invitation was out of his mouth before he could second-guess himself.  His doubts melted away and he followed his heart.  It felt so right, and he was tired of ignoring his feelings. 

Kurt was so sweet, and funny, and could be snarky as hell, which Blaine adored.  He was warm, and kind, and his eyes sparkled in the sun in a way Blaine couldn’t believe was real.  If Blaine didn’t know any better, he’d say he could fall in lo…

“Easy, Anderson,” Blaine said out loud.  He took a deep breath to center himself.  Yes, he’d taken that all-important first step of asking Kurt out.  Great.  Perfect.  Now was not the time to be wondering where to shop for an engagement ring. 

He would just take the evening one moment at a time.  He would subtly let Kurt know that he would like to make the evening a date (how, he had no idea), and take his next cue from Kurt after that.  They would eat, play some games, talk, and have fun.  _And if we fall madly in love and start planning our honeymoon, that’s okay, too,_ a voice in his head added.

All he had to do was stay calm until Kurt arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued if the inspiration strikes…


	4. Love Is in the Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may have taken “in the air” a different way…

 Kurt hated flying.  A lot.  He hadn’t flown often, and the trips he’d taken so far had been relatively short.  Now he was facing his first cross-country flight from New York to LA, and he was dreading every second of it. 

He’d arrived at the airport in good time, but the security lines had been a nightmare, resulting in him sprinting down the concourse to his gate.  Naturally, then, he arrived to find his flight had been delayed one hour. 

Perfect.

Slumped in an uncomfortable (and, he added derisively, insanely ugly) vinyl-covered bench-style seat, he was so focused on his misery that he didn’t notice the sudden presence of a man standing near him until he heard a gentle clearing of a throat. 

“Excuse me?  Is this seat taken?”

Great.  Just what Kurt needed, a weirdo parking next to him.  He raised his head, ready to give some excuse as to why the stranger could not sit beside him.  All thoughts of denial vanished like mist as he caught sight of said stranger.

“Oh,” Kurt exhaled.  “Um, no.  Of course not.  Please,” he rambled, shifting to sit up straight and needlessly tugging his carry-on closer even though it wasn’t in the way in the first place.

“Thanks,” the stranger replied with a brilliant smile.  He took the seat, settling his own carry-on under the bench and turning to Kurt once more.  “I’m sorry to disturb you, but the waiting area is pretty full,” he explained. 

Kurt glanced around and noticed that the waiting area had, in fact, filled up while he’d been busy sulking.  Just as he was about to address his new seat mate, a hand was thrust out in front of him.

“Blaine,” the stranger – Blaine – said.

Kurt hesitated briefly, then took the offered hand and shook it.  “I’m Kurt.  Hi.”

Blaine smiled a little bit brighter.  “Hi,” he returned.  “Thanks again for letting me sit here.” 

Kurt responded that it was no trouble, and then an awkward silence fell between them for a couple of minutes.  Kurt turned his attention back to the floor as his jitters began to set back in.  His leg jiggled up and down nervously without him being aware of it.  All he could think of was the upcoming flight and how he was going to handle being stuck on a plane for six and a half hours.

“Are you nervous?” Blaine’s voice startled him, and he jumped in his seat.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he apologized. 

“That’s okay,” Kurt sighed.  “I just really, really don’t like being on a plane, and I’ve never flown this far before,” Kurt groaned.  He paused and added, “How did you know I was nervous?”

Blaine smirked, throwing a glance to Kurt’s bouncing knee.  Kurt clamped down on it with his hand to make it stop, and reddened in embarrassment.

“Hey.”  Blaine pivoted in his seat to face Kurt.  “No need to be embarrassed.  Everyone has something they don’t like or are afraid of.  For you, it’s flying.”

“And you?  What is it you’re afraid of?” Kurt asked, feeling calmer as he was drawn into conversation with the handsome stranger.  

Blaine leaned in a fraction of an inch and whispered loudly, “Running out of hair gel,” he confessed, rolling his eyes upwards towards his heavily-gelled head.

Kurt couldn’t help but laugh at that, and before he knew it, he was completely engaged in easy conversation with Blaine. 

About half an hour later, the gate agent took her microphone in hand and announced that boarding would begin for first class passengers.  Blaine wrinkled his nose and blushed faintly.  “I’m afraid that’s me.”  He reached under his seat for his bag and stood up, straightening out the mild wrinkles in his jacket.  “I cashed in my miles for an upgrade,” he offered by way of explanation.  Kurt was about to say “Good for you,” but was cut off when Blaine muttered, “I wish I hadn’t.”

Kurt smiled at the implication.  Blaine was too sweet and smart and funny and handsome for his own good, Kurt decided.  “Well, if you run out of caviar, come visit me in peasant class.  I’m in 12A.”

Blaine laughed aloud, a beautiful sound to Kurt’s ears.  “Sure thing.  Have a good flight,” he added, holding out his hand.  Kurt took it in his own, holding it more than shaking it this time.

“You, too.”

Blaine reluctantly let go of Kurt’s hand and walked to the gate.  Once his boarding pass had been scanned, he paused before entering the jetway, glancing back at Kurt.  He gave a little wave, which Kurt returned, and then stepped through the door.

Kurt sighed.  So much for travel romance.

xoxoxo

This was a nightmare.  Kurt had finally boarded (giving another little wave to Blaine as he passed him in first class) and quickly got himself situated.  Of course, who should sit next to him but a woman with a baby.  Kurt had nothing against children in general, and felt badly for a woman trying to travel with one, but he really, really didn’t need a screaming infant next to him for the next quarter of a day.  Sure enough, the baby began to cry and fuss before the passengers were even done boarding. 

It was going to be a long flight.

Kurt fidgeted around in his window seat, trying to settle in with his iPod and ear buds to hopefully drown out the worst of the noise.  He dropped his chin to his chest, realizing he’d forgotten to charge the completely dead iPod. 

“Excuse me?” a familiar voice said nearby.  Kurt’s head snapped up to find Blaine standing in the aisle next to the mother and baby.  “Ma’am, I couldn’t help but notice you’re traveling with a little one.  It’s awfully cramped back here.  I have a seat in first class that would be much more comfortable for the two of you.  I’ve already cleared it with the flight attendant – would you like to switch seats with me?”

Kurt gaped in awe as he watched the woman half-heartedly argue and ultimately accept Blaine’s generous offer.  Blaine even helped her with her bag as she moved forward on the plane.  He threw a wink over his shoulder and mouthed, “I’ll be right back,” to Kurt.

Moments later, Blaine took his seat next to Kurt, who still hadn’t closed his mouth. 

“We meet again,” Blaine grinned.

“You…how did you…I can’t believe…” he stammered.

Blaine shrugged.  “She needed my seat more than I did – and I needed hers more than she did.  Now, shall we get settled in for takeoff?”

Kurt paled at the mention of takeoff.  He fumbled with his seatbelt, having trouble with the latch but figuring it out and tightening it to where it belonged.  He started nervously drumming his fingers on the armrest when the plane began to taxi to the runway, then all-out gripped it hard as they started to pick up speed to actually take off.  Suddenly, warm fingers wrapped around his, carefully prying them from the armrest and holding them firmly but gently.  He found Blaine was looking at him softly.  “Those armrests are germy things.  You don’t want to hold onto that,” he playfully scolded.

With the lifting of the plane into the air, Kurt’s stomach swooped and he instinctively clutched Blaine’s hand tight, an action he tried to apologize for moments later, only to have the apology brushed off lightly. 

“Kurt, it’s fine.  I’m happy to let you hold my hand if that makes you feel better.”

Kurt’s stomach swooped again, but it wasn’t because of the plane that time.

“However, the best thing to do is to distract yourself somehow so that you don’t really notice where you are or what you’re doing.”  He noticed the abandoned iPod and earbuds in Kurt’s lap.  “Listening to music is a great idea!”

“The only problem is that it’s out of juice,” Kurt complained. 

“Hmm, that is a problem,” Blaine hummed, a twinkle in his eye.  “Unless, of course, you happen to be sitting next to a handsome gentleman with an iPod of his own that he’s willing to share.”  Blaine slipped a device out of his jacket pocket and held it up like a trophy.  He held it out towards Kurt, but snatched it back before Kurt could accept it. 

“Actually, I think you need the deluxe distraction package, which comes with a playlist specifically curated for your air travel needs,” he quipped in a television announcer-type voice.

Kurt giggled.  “And what exactly does that mean?”

“It means,” Blaine said, reaching out for Kurt’s earbuds and plugging them into his iPod before handing the ear pieces back to Kurt, “you listen, and I’ll pick your songs.”

“So, you’re my in-air deejay?” Kurt asked.

“Exactly,” Blaine agreed.  “Go ahead,” he gestured for Kurt to plug in.

Kurt complied, but only put in the earbud in the ear facing away from Blaine.  Blaine raised an eyebrow, and he shyly explained, “I still want to be able to hear you and talk to you.”

This time, he made Blaine blush and look down, which he attempted to cover by beginning to scroll through his music collection.  “Let’s see,” he mumbled.  “Ah, yes.  Here we go.”

With a flourish, he tapped the screen, and a song started playing in Kurt’s ear.

_Come fly with me, come fly, let’s fly away…_

Kurt huffed out a laugh at the obvious joke.  He let the song play out while watching Blaine scroll through what appeared to be an endless list of songs.  As soon as the first one finished, another began.   Kurt hummed along with the refrain.

_I’m leavin’ on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again…_

Clearly, Blaine had struck a theme.

Song after song played, some rather creatively touching on the theme of flight.  Kurt asked him to skip _Fly Away_ by Lenny Kravitz.  “Ooh, sorry.  Yeah, listening to someone repeat, ‘ _I want to get away_ ’ when you’re feeling confined on a plane probably isn’t the best thing.”

He followed it up with what was probably the last song Kurt would have expected to hear.

_Love is in the air, everywhere I look around_

If they were in a competition to make one another blush, Blaine would be winning.  Kurt felt the heat in his cheeks but dared to peek up at Blaine anyway.  He immediately barked out a much-too-loud-for-a-plane laugh at the sight of Blaine bopping his head back and forth to the disco beat. 

Time passed pleasantly enough.  Beverage service had come and gone, and Kurt stifled a yawn as the day began to catch up with him.  Suddenly, the plane jolted and Kurt froze in his seat.  Blaine’s hand once again took his, holding it tenderly and stroking Kurt’s knuckles with his thumb.  “It’s okay, it’s just a little air pocket,” Blaine soothed.  

“Sorry,” Kurt grumbled.

“Here,” Blaine started, shifting in his seat and moving their joined hands.  He pushed up the armrest between them and shuffled as close as he could with the seat belt on.  “You’re exhausted.  Go ahead and close your eyes,” he calmly directed.  Kurt noticed that Blaine had switched to some quiet piano instrumentals on the iPod a couple of songs ago, and the combination of the peaceful music, Blaine’s voice, and the warm hand holding his were too much for him to fight.  Settling back in his seat, he let his eyelids droop and close. 

He woke up an indeterminate amount of time later to the continuing sound of piano music and a warm pillow beneath his cheek.  Wait a minute.  Pillow?

He jerked his head up and took in a sharp breath realizing he’d fallen asleep on Blaine’s shoulder.  Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he focused on Blaine’s smiling face.  Judging from Blaine’s tiny yawn, Kurt hadn’t been the only one to drift off.

The pilot announced that they were beginning their final approach.  “Good timing,” Blaine observed. 

Kurt felt like he should be embarrassed for having fallen asleep on a relative stranger, but found that he could not be.  He hadn’t felt this comfortable with someone in so long, and the feeling was incredible.

All too soon, the plane had touched down, taxied, and parked at the gate.  The usual hustle of passengers disembarking ensued, and then Kurt and Blaine stood in the terminal together. 

“Well,” Kurt sighed.

“Yeah,” Blaine answered. 

“Could I have your number?” they blurted simultaneously.

“You know, I might have a music-related emergency while I’m here,” Kurt teased.

“Far be it for me to leave a beautiful man in distress,” Blaine replied, holding out his phone for Kurt to enter his number.  Kurt typed swiftly, then texted himself to get Blaine’s number in return.

Neither one seemed willing to leave, but they knew they couldn’t stay in the terminal forever.  They both had places to be, reasons they’d made this trip in the first place.  Blaine broke first.

“Okay, Kurt.  I should go, I guess, but I want to hear from you.  Promise?”

Without thinking, Kurt threw himself forward into Blaine’s arms, hugging him tightly.  “I promise,” he murmured into Blaine’s shoulder.  “I’ll call you.”

“You’d better,” Blaine whispered, surprising Kurt with the tremor in his voice.

They held one another for a few seconds more, then slowly parted, swiping at eyes and sniffling softly.  One more smile, and then it was time to walk away.

The funny thing about airports?  Everyone has to walk out the same way.

They broke into a fit of giggles as they realized that after their heartfelt goodbyes, they would have to walk through the terminal together, and to baggage claim, and out to the taxi stand.  The discovery that they were both staying downtown meant that it only made sense to share a cab – for the environment, Blaine insisted.

When they further discovered that they were both leaving on Sunday, and were on the same flight home, Blaine immediately went online in the back of the cab to change his seat assignment.  It appeared they would be seeing each other sooner than they could have hoped. 

Blaine dropped Kurt off first, giving him a chaste but firm kiss on the cheek before Kurt got out.  As the taxi pulled away from the curb, Blaine popped in his earbuds and hit the shuffle button on his iPod, smiling and humming at the tune that played first.

_Love is in the air, everywhere I look around._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knocked this one out pretty quickly, so pardon any errors.  Also, this NEVER happens to me on planes.  *sigh*


	5. Whenever You're Away From Me

_Whenever you’re away from me_  
_Wherever you go_  
_You’re never far away from me_

Kurt Hummel was a bit of a walking contradiction.  A self-proclaimed silly romantic since childhood, he was also eminently practical.  He’d been ruthless in marking what items to take and what to leave when he moved to New York.  One item, however, though not in any way practical, unequivocally found itself on the “must take” list.

Looking back, the move to New York was only one of many.  It had, of course, started out with him in Lima at McKinley.  Then it traveled to New York, finding itself pinned to a bulletin board in a Bushwick loft.  It went back with him to Ohio, tucked away in a bedside drawer for a while, but never out of reach.

Back it went again to New York, moving to another apartment wall, then to a pegboard in an office cubicle, and finally to a wall in his very first genuine Broadway theater dressing room.  When asked, he would tell the story with a fond smile, recalling its origin and the wonderful history it held. 

His show now closed after a long run, it was time to find a new, perhaps permanent, home for his most cherished possession.  He settled in at the dining room table, laying out his project before him.  The  glass of the frame was clean and sparkling, and a tasteful mat lay waiting to be positioned.  He took the picture out of the envelope in which it had traveled, holding it in his hands for a moment and studying it carefully.  It was a little worse for wear, but still in extraordinarily good shape, years of diligent caretaking having done its job.  There was a tiny crease in the corner that he smoothed out, not for the first time.  It didn’t matter.  It was still perfect.

He turned the photo over and placed it gently in the frame, centering it just so before assembling the backing.  Flipping the frame right-side up, he couldn’t help but grin, feeling a bit of the giddiness he’d felt when he’d first received it long ago.

Now, it was simply a matter of placement.  With a sweeping glance across the room, he settled on the right spot almost immediately.  Kurt crossed the room and reverently placed the frame on top of the piano.  It was the perfect addition to their new space.

Later, Blaine would come home and undoubtedly laugh at the prominent display.  When they first moved in together upon returning to New York, Blaine asked Kurt about the picture. 

“We have so many great pictures that are more recent than this.  Why do you insist on keeping my old Warbler photo from the Dalton yearbook?” he’d wondered aloud.

Kurt explained to Blaine how the picture was originally displayed in his locker, even before they’d officially become a couple.  It gave him strength and hope to see a friendly face every day, even when Blaine was physically so far away.  From that point on, the photo became a symbol for Kurt – a symbol of Blaine’s care and affection, and in time, of his love and devotion.  When they broke up, Kurt couldn’t bear to part with it, even if he couldn’t look at it every day.  It meant security and safety, regardless of whether Blaine was beside him or not.

Blaine didn’t question the picture again after that. 

Kurt fussed with the frame, arranging it among others on the piano, placing it directly next to an old photo of himself from when he’d run for student body president at McKinley.  Apparently, Kurt wasn’t the only one who had kept a photo through the years.

Neither one of them was the boy he’d been in those photos.  They’d learned and grown, loved and lost.  But when all was said and done, even when apart, they had never been far away from one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a little trouble with this prompt, and I needed to keep it short tonight.  Hope this was okay.


	6. This Is the Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is set within my “A Hero’s Hero” verse.  If you haven’t read it, the gist is this:  Blaine is Nightbird and meets Kurt, a regular guy who ends up saving the hero.  TW for reference to minor injuries, but nothing graphic.  This is set a bit in the future from the last installment, in case you’re wondering.  I used a few lyrics of the song as a loose inspiration.

 

“Ow.  Ow!  Geez, Kurt.  What are you using, acid?” Blaine complained.

Kurt bit back a snicker.  “Oh, calm down, you big baby.  It’s just a little alcohol.  Now sit still and let me clean these cuts.”

Blaine pouted, but settled in his chair.  “I’m not a baby,” he grumbled. 

“No, no you are not,” Kurt countered, dabbing at Blaine’s knuckle gently.  “You’re a grown man who decided to go through a plate glass window instead of using a door.”

Blaine winced as Kurt touched a particularly tender spot.  “I couldn’t go through the door.  The police were watching it.  Plus, the guy inside was expecting someone to enter that way.  What he wasn’t expecting was me to come through the window.  It gave me the advantage of the element of surprise.”

Kurt hummed, keeping his concentration on his work.  “Surprise, yes.  It also gave you a variety of cuts and scrapes, and what is probably going to be a nice bruise,” he added, inspecting Blaine’s shoulder.  “Seriously, though, how did you survive before I came into your life?” Kurt teased.

“It was some kind of miracle,” Blaine deadpanned. 

The air grew heavy for a second, as it sometimes did.  Kurt had grown accustomed to these types of evenings.  Fortunately, his job as a freelance fashion writer afforded him some flexibility with his schedule.  He was a night owl by nature, and if writing at all hours meant that he was awake when Blaine came home from a rescue and Kurt was able to see immediately with his own eyes that he was safe and sound, even better. 

Kurt stood, gathering the bandage wrappers and other trash from the table.  “Go on over to the couch and get cozy.  I’ll bring you and ice pack and some hot chocolate.”

Moments later, Kurt joined Blaine on the couch, settling the ice pack on his shoulder, handing him a mug of cocoa, and slipping under the fuzzy blanket next to him.  Blaine murmured his thanks, punctuating it with a kiss to Kurt’s temple. 

“I think I’m a horrible person,” Kurt blurted out of nowhere.

Blaine, who had been leaning against Kurt’s shoulder, sat upright.  “What?  Why would you say that?”

Kurt looked down, fiddling with his own mug.  Blaine took it from him carefully and placed both of their cups on the coffee table, then sat back again.  Before he could do it himself, Kurt reached over him to grab the ice pack that had fallen down and tucked it between Blaine’s shoulder and the couch cushion once more.

“You know what this reminds me of?” Kurt asked, ignoring Blaine’s last question.  Met with silence and an inquiring eye, he continued, “It’s like the night we met.  You were right here on this couch, with this exact ice pack on your shoulder, I think.” 

Blaine smiled fondly.  “Best night of my life.”

“Mine too – and that’s my problem,” Kurt sighed.  “I _don’t_ like you getting hurt,” he said emphatically.  “I hate it.  I hate anything that brings you pain.  But…” he trailed off helplessly.

He didn’t have to finish, however.  Blaine got there on his own.  “You like taking care of me,” he supplied.  Kurt nodded – well as best he could with his head hung low.  Blaine reached out a bandaged hand and touched underneath Kurt’s chin to lift his head.  “Hey, look at me.  I love that you take care of me.  In my line of work, things like this are going to happen.  I’m not a comic book character, Kurt.  I’m not Superman.  I’m an ordinary man, trying to do his best to help, and sometimes I get hurt.” 

He wiped a solitary tear from Kurt’s cheek before going on.  “But having you to come home to?  That’s the best thing in the world.  I could take care of myself, sure.  I did it before.  But I don’t have to anymore, and that’s all because I met the most amazing man in the world who, for some unknown reason, loves me as much as I love him.  We’re in this crazy life together, Kurt.  That’s what this means,” he lifted Kurt’s left hand to his lips and kissed the shiny metal band that rested on his third finger. 

Kurt let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a cry, and launched himself forward into his husband’s arms.  The hug was short-lived, though, as Blaine couldn’t hold in a yelp when his sore shoulder was jostled. 

Kurt apologized, got Blaine situated again, and took his place next to him to cuddle for a while.  Their lives may be filled with wild and crazy adventures and misadventures, but right now?  Right here?  Snuggled next to his one true love?  This is the time he’d always remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m like the Rumplestiltskin of fanfiction, but instead of spinning straw into gold, I spin angsty songs into crazy fluffy stories.  You’re welcome.  And if you have not, in fact, read “A Hero’s Hero,” I cordially invite you to check it out!


	7. Sweetener

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight AU of high school Klaine who didn’t meet the way they did in canon.   

 

Kurt picked up his phone, smiling when he saw Mercedes' name lighting up the screen.  “Hey, Cedes,” he answered, flopping backwards on his bed.

“Oh, hi, Kurt!  I didn’t think you’d pick up.  I was going to leave you a message about meeting up at the mall this weekend.  Wait…why _are_ you answering?  Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

Kurt sighed.  “Yeah, about that.  Do you think the Lima Bean is hiring?” he asked sheepishly.

“Kurt!  What happened to your job at Starbucks?”

Kurt had been working at the coffee mecca to earn some money for his inevitable move to New York in the fall.  It wasn’t his first choice, but the hours were flexible, the pay wasn’t too bad, and if he couldn’t work in theater or fashion, then coffee was the next best thing.

“You know Blaine?”

“ _Blaine_ , Blaine?  The cute guy from Dalton who just so happens to prefer the Starbucks where you work to the hundred or so locations closer to his own school?  The one who has been flirting with you for three months now? The one you’re too afraid to ask on a date but whom you cannot stop talking about? _That_ Blaine?” Mercedes teased.

“Har de har har.  You know, Miss Jones.  You are wasting your time singing.  You should go into standup comedy,” Kurt snarked back.

Mercedes chuckled fondly.  “Okay, Kurt.  I’ll stop.  So what about Blaine?”

Kurt took a deep breath and threw his free hand over his eyes, reliving the afternoon’s events. 

_“Hey there, Kurt,” the very handsome Blaine Anderson greeted Kurt brightly._

_“Well, if it isn’t my favorite customer!” Kurt replied.  “What shall we be ordering today?”_

_Blaine laughed as he always did when Kurt asked for his order.  “Same as usual, of course.”_

_“One medium drip coming up,” Kurt rang up the order, processed Blaine’s payment, and stepped to the side to prepare the beverage.  It was an unspoken rule among the other baristas that Kurt was to take care of Blaine, and woe betide anyone who tried to pour that boy’s medium drip._

_Kurt handed the cup to Blaine with a smile.  “I hope you have a great day,” he offered._

_“It just got a thousand percent better, so I’m off to a good start,” Blaine responded with a wink._

_Getting his heart under control, Kurt turned to go back to work.  Within seconds, he heard a familiar voice.  “Excuse me?”_

_He took the couple of steps back to the side counter and asked Blaine, “Is there something wrong?  Is it not hot enough?  Too hot?” he rambled._

_“No, no.  Nothing like that.  You’re out of sweetener,” Blaine explained._

_“Oh.  I can take care of that.” Kurt held his hand out to take the cup back.  Blaine moved to hand it over, but when Kurt slipped his fingers around the cup, Blaine surprised him by putting his hand over Kurt’s.  Kurt still couldn’t understand what came over him in that instant that made him do what he did next._

_“I can sweeten it for you,” he offered, fully taking the cup from Blaine.  Without losing eye contact, he raised the cup to his lips and…_

“…andthenikissedhiscup.”

“Run that last part by me again?” Mercedes demanded.

He repeated more intelligibly, “And then I kissed his cup.”

“Oh my god, Kurt!”  Mercedes squealed.  Fortunately, Kurt had anticipated her response and held the phone away from his ear.  “I can’t believe you did that!  Way to go, boo!  What did he say?  What did _you_ say?  And why does any of that mean you are home from work early?”

Kurt scoffed.  “Apparently, putting one’s lips on someone else’s cup is ‘unhygenic’ and ‘behavior unbefitting a barista,’ so they fired me.  It might have had something to do with the fact that the health inspector was there at the time, too,” he mused.

“Aw, sweetie.  I’m sorry,” Mercedes consoled, but Kurt could hear her fighting back a laugh on the other end of the line. 

Kurt dropped his hand from his eyes, staring at the ceiling as a bemused grin spread across his face.  “I’m not.  I finally got his number.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn’t going to go with a coffee theme, but once I typed the title and artist, and noticed I had both “sweetener” and “grande” in there, how could I resist?  I’m not overly happy with this one – I think I’ve hit the mid-challenge slump.  That’s a thing, right?


	8. True Love

_Honeymooners at last alone_

Kurt and Blaine Anderson-Hummel walked slowly down the hotel hallway towards their room, arms around one another’s waists and Blaine’s head on Kurt’s shoulder.  Ties and top buttons were undone, and shiny new rings sparkled on their fingers. 

“Long day,” Blaine sighed contentedly.

“Good day,” Kurt countered, giving his new husband a peck on the cheek.

It was late in the evening, or, more precisely, early in the morning when they finally reached their room.  Kurt slipped the keycard out of his pocket and swiped it at the door, huffing at the two tries it took to hear the telltale click.

“I’d carry you across the threshold, but I’m so exhausted, I’m seriously afraid I’ll drop you,” Blaine said, stifling a yawn.

Kurt nodded in sympathy.  “Right back at’cha.”

Closing the door behind them and flicking on the light, Kurt let out a small yawn of his own.  “Contagious,” he muttered sheepishly. 

“Adorable,” Blaine smiled and leaned forward to capture Kurt’s lips in a brief but firm kiss.  “Happy?” he whispered, staying close and brushing his nose against his husband’s.

“Beyond happy,” Kurt replied, kissing him again.  Before it could grow too heated, however, Kurt pulled back, an odd expression on his face.

“What’s the matter?” Blaine asked.

Kurt wrinkled his nose and looked Blaine up and down.  “I say this with all the love in my heart that I have to give, but Blaine…you smell like barn.”

Blaine’s eyes flew open wide in horror.  “I do?” He sniffed his jacket sleeve and shuddered.  “Oh, lord.  I do.  What is that, exactly?”

“I’m not sure, but I think it’s better if you just take a shower and don’t think about it too much,” Kurt said.

Blaine nodded and turned to move towards the bathroom, but paused and returned.  He swiftly took a sniff near Kurt’s collar.  “Um, honey?  I hate to say it, but I think you smell like it, too.”

“I do not!” Kurt objected.  Blaine arched an eyebrow and lifted Kurt’s arm by the cuff of his jacket.  “Smell,” he instructed.

Kurt complied and let out a groan.  “Ugh, that’s disgusting.  I mean, this is designer!” he complained. 

Blaine chuckled fondly.  “Go ahead, Farmer Kurt.  You take the shower first.”  He guided Kurt by the shoulders towards the bathroom, giving him a quick kiss and then pulling the door closed.

Kurt made quick work of cleaning up, knowing Blaine was tired and waiting to do the same.  They switched, and shortly thereafter, Blaine emerged, body wrapped in the hotel bathrobe and hair damp and curly.  His breath caught at the sight of his beloved propped up on the bed, clad in a matching robe and slippers, holding the remote control and watching a re-run of _Friends_ on the oversized hotel TV.  There was something so domestic and perfect about the sight.

“Come join me, husband,” Kurt said softly, patting the space on the bed next to him.  Blaine did so, snuggling up close and taking Kurt’s free hand in his own, toying with the ring on his third finger. 

“I like your slippers,” Blaine murmured, rubbing his own bare foot against the fuzzy foot next to it. 

“Taking off those shoes was a religious experience,” Kurt quipped. 

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, cuddling together and watching the wacky antics of a group of New York twenty-somethings.  Kurt had the sound down low and only the bedside lamp on, creating a cozy atmosphere. 

“Kurt?” Blaine quietly called, stirring Kurt, who hadn’t realized his eyes had slipped closed.

“Hmm?” Kurt responded.

“I, um, I know it’s our wedding night, but…” he trailed off.

Kurt shifted to look at Blaine, who was half lying down on his side facing him.  He reached out a hand to brush a wayward curl from Blaine’s forehead, allowing his fingers to linger gently.  “But…?” he prompted. 

Blaine hesitated, and then continued, “I know it’s our wedding night, but would you be mad at me if we went to sleep right now?  It’s been such a long day – a wonderful, amazing, surprisingly perfect day  - but I’m…” he faltered again.

Kurt smiled warmly and leaned in for a chaste, close-mouthed kiss.  “Blaine, I’m so overjoyed to have married you today, and I can’t wait for the first time we make love as husbands, but you wanting to go to sleep right now proves to me that I married my one and only true love.”

Blaine laughed tiredly, reaching up for another kiss, a little more passionate than the last, but leading nowhere else.  Wordlessly, they separated, took off their robes (and Kurt’s slippers), and settled in each other’s arms under the covers. 

“Best.  Husband.  Ever.” Blaine mumbled into Kurt’s shoulder.  Kurt snored lightly in response.  Blaine hummed his approval and followed his true love into sleep.


	9. Happy With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fickle wheel of prompt fate has finally smiled upon me.  This is a continuation of Day 1 and Day 3, in which Kurt and Blaine are co-workers getting together at Blaine’s for a non-football-centric Superbowl party for two.  It’s a date…isn’t it?

 

_Knock knock knock_

Hearts beat fast on both sides of the door.  Hair was checked, shirts straightened, and then…

“Hi, Kurt!  Right on time.  Please, come in,” Blaine greeted, stepping aside for Kurt to enter and closing the door behind him.

“Hi,” Kurt returned the greeting.  “Here, I brought my dad’s famous guacamole.  It’s not the healthiest thing you’ll ever eat, and don’t tell my father I ever said this, but it’s _amazingly_ good.”  He handed over the covered bowl to Blaine, who took it with a smile.

“This is perfect.  It will go great with the appetizers and finger foods I prepared.  Come on and let’s get you something to drink.”

Kurt started to follow Blaine, but halted after two steps.  “Oh, wait a minute,” he called, stepping back to the entryway.  “I didn’t realize,” he gestured to Blaine’s bare feet.  “Let me just get rid of these,” he finished, bending over to untie and remove his boots. 

“Kurt, you don’t have to…” Blaine began, but the rest of the words died in his throat at the sight of Kurt’s change of position. 

Kurt glanced back over his shoulder, smirking at his dumbstruck host.  _Point Hummel_ , he thought.  He fought the urge to take his dear sweet time, and simply finished his task, leaving the boots by the door and walking back to join Blaine.  “You mentioned something about a beverage?” he asked coyly, taking the bowl from Blaine and heading to where he could see the kitchen door.  If his hips swayed a little more than usual, he’d never admit it.

xoxoxo

“Again?!?  You cheated,” Blaine accused playfully.

Kurt scoffed, “Blaine, you can’t cheat at Jenga.  I’m simply better than you.  Accept it.”

“Never,” Blaine argued, setting up the pieces for another round. 

Kurt giggled, sipping his wine and settling himself more comfortably.  He and Blaine had migrated to sit on cushions on the floor next to one another at the coffee table.  Somewhere in the room, the ignored television was tuned to the football game, but the sound had been on mute since Kurt arrived.  Neither of them had bothered to glance at it once for the score, commercials, or the halftime show.  As the evening wore on, Kurt became more and more hopeful that this was actually a date.  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed himself more, and it had nothing to do with the wine, the games, or the food.  It had everything to do with the charming, handsome, sweet, wonderful man beside him who made him feel nervous and comfortable and happy and scared all at the same time.  Now if only Kurt could tell him…

“You know, I’m sorry you missed your party with Jeff and the others from work.  You really didn’t have to give all of that up for me,” Kurt said softly, placing his glass on the table and tangling his fingers nervously in his lap.

Blaine put down the wooden blocks he’d been stacking and turned to the side, gently taking Kurt’s hands and holding them in his own.  “Kurt,” he began, saying the name in that way that made Kurt’s knees weak, “I’m not missing anything.  I’m perfectly happy here with you.”

A heavy pause fell between them, the moment having become intense very quickly.  Sensing the tension, Blaine released Kurt’s hand and picked up his wine glass.  “So, before we begin round five of Jenga, a toast?”  Kurt took up his own glass, mimicking the gesture and waiting. 

“To perfect evenings,” Blaine proposed. 

Kurt took a breath and looked into Blaine’s eyes, alight with a warmth he’d not seen there before.  It was now or never. 

“To perfect first dates,” he countered.

Blaine let out a breath and smiled in wonder and joy.  “Even better,” he whispered, clinking their glasses together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so glad a prompt came along which fit into my idea for their date!


	10. Truly Madly Deeply

Day 10 – Truly Madly Deeply (Savage Garden)

As Kurt and Blaine’s one-year wedding anniversary approached, Sam mentioned to Blaine that he regretted not having been able to throw a bachelor party for him.  Blaine laughed it off, but when he told Kurt about it later, he was surprised that Kurt agreed with Sam.  Apparently, Rachel and Santana had said something similar to Kurt a few days earlier. 

A few weeks and a bit of planning later, the couple found themselves heading out in different directions on the eve of their anniversary – Kurt with his girls and Blaine with the guys.  Much to Blaine’s delight, a number of the Warblers were able to join in, as well, making it a mini-reunion of sorts.

Late that evening, the girls dropped Kurt back at his and Blaine’s apartment, riding away laughing and singing.  Kurt hoped he’d tipped the Uber driver enough.  As he turned the key in the lock, he heard a sound that did not bode well for what was on the other side of the door.

“I’ll be your dream, I’ll be your wish, I’ll be your fantasyyyyyyyy,” a voice sang.  Loudly.  Very, very loudly.

“Oh, no,” Kurt muttered to himself, swiftly opening the door.  Sure enough, there was Blaine, singing with the radio into a soup ladle, clad in boxers and an unbuttoned dress shirt.  He twirled across the living room, or perhaps he stumbled…it was hard to tell.

“Dammit, Sam,” Kurt groused, crossing the room to where the blonde sat in an armchair, a hand over his mouth as he tried to hide his laughter.

“KURT!”  Blaine yelled happily, running over to his husband and falling into his arms.  “You’re home!  I had the _best_ time!” he exclaimed, placing a messy kiss on Kurt’s cheek before pulling back and continuing to sing passionately into the ladle.  “I’ll love you more with every breath, truly madly deeply doooooooo.”

“Hello, Blaine,” Kurt returned affectionately.  It was hard to be mad at Blaine when he was being this cute.  “That’s lovely, but can you keep it down a little?  I don’t want to bother the neighbors, okay?”

Blaine nodded, putting the handle of the ladle to his lips and making a shushing sound.  He proceeded to sing in a tone that could best be described as a whisper-shout.  “I want to stand with you on a mountain…”

Kurt turned to Sam once more.  “Sam, you had _one_ job.  One job!  You know Blaine is a lightweight.”

“I’m sorry, man, but it wasn’t me.  It was those Warblers.  They’re madmen, I tell ya.”  Sam stopped and chuckled again at his best friend, who was now lying sideways across another armchair, his head tipped back over the arm as he continued to sing.

“I want to lay like this forever, until the sky falls down on meeeeee…”

“Geez, he’s going to want the sky to fall down on him in the morning, that’s for sure,” Sam observed.

Kurt strode over to the radio and clicked it off, ignoring the disapproving groan from Blaine.  “Annoyingly enough, he never gets hung over.  He won’t remember much of this in the morning, but he won’t be more than a little tired.  How did he get this drunk, anyway?”  Kurt continued moving around the apartment, picking up Blaine’s discarded shoes, socks, pants, and tie.

“I told you, it was those prep school guys.  Oh, they’re nice enough, and they never overstepped or bothered anyone, but those dudes can _party_.  I went to the bathroom and came back to find Blaine doing body shots off of one of them.”

Kurt froze in his tracks, and slowly swiveled his head in Sam’s direction.  “Sebastian?”

Sam’s eyes flew open wide.  “No!  No, of course not.  It was some tall Asian guy.”

“Wes?!” Kurt blurted out with a laugh.  “But he’s straight!”

Sam held up his hands.  “Hey.  I saw what I saw, and I can’t unsee it.”

“Truly madly deeply doooo…” Blaine interjected, apparently not needing the music to continue.

“What I can’t understand is how he’s still got perfect pitch when he’s three sheets to the wind,” Sam mused. 

“I know right?”  Kurt agreed, placing the pile of Blaine’s clothes on the table.  “Anyway, thanks for getting him home.  I’ve got him now.  You don’t need to stay, but you can crash on the couch if you want,” Kurt offered.

“Nah, man.  I’m good.  I was his DD tonight, so I’m fine to drive.”  Sam glanced over at his friend.  “Night, Blaine.  I’m glad you had fun, man.”

Blaine waved from where he lay in the chair, his head still upside down.  “Bye, Sammy!  I love you!!”

Sam laughed.  “Love you too, bro.  Drink some water and listen to Kurt, okay?” he said as if speaking to a child.

“Okay!  I love Kurt!” Blaine shouted before returning to humming his song.

Kurt walked Sam to the door.  “I don’t understand why those guys needed to get drunk to have fun.  I went out with my girls and we had a perfectly good time without getting wasted.”

Sam simply shrugged and stepped out the door into the hallway.  “Eh, to each their own.  I’m glad you and the girls had a blast.”

Kurt smiled, glancing down momentarily.  “Yeah, we really did,” he murmured.

Sam opened his mouth to say goodbye, but tilted his head and narrowed his eyes as something caught his attention.  “Kurt?  Is that…” he leaned in closer.  “Is that _glitter_ on your neck?”

“What?  No, of course not.  Thanks again for getting him home.  Drive safely!” Kurt rushed out, hurrying to push Sam back out to the hallway and to close the door behind him.  As the door shut, he heard Sam say amusedly, “It looks a lot like the body glitter I used to wear when I was a stripper.”  Sam’s laughter faded as he walked down the hall.

Kurt let out a breath and dropped his head, slumping against the door.  He’d tell Blaine about Santana’s stripper ambush tomorrow, of course, but he didn’t need to deal with Sam’s teasing about it tonight.

“Dance with me?” Blaine’s voice close to his ear startled Kurt, making him jump.  Kurt spun around and saw Blaine standing behind him, arms outstretched.  He was swaying slightly, either from the tune in his head or the alcohol, or both.

Kurt shook his head fondly, stepping forward into his husband’s waiting arms.  “I missed you tonight,” Kurt whispered, leading Blaine in a slow circle.

“Missed you too,” Blaine mumbled into his shoulder, holding on tightly.  “Better with you.”  He started humming, and Kurt took up the lyrics this time.

_I’ll be your dream, I’ll be your wish, I’ll be your fantasy_   
_I’ll be your hope, I’ll be your love, be everything that you need_   
_I’ll love you more with every breath_   
_Truly madly deeply do._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Give me an angsty song and I turn it into something fluffy and romantic.  Give me a lovely romantic song, and I turn it into, well…this.  


	11. Top of the World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m diving into one of my prior verses for this one.  It is set in “The Art and Science of Kissing, by Blaine Anderson.”  Long story short, Blaine’s a not-so-bad badboy who falls for one Kurt Hummel.  I don’t think you’ll need to have read the story to follow this, though it does reference the events of a follow-up one-shot titled “The Key.”  This is set a bit into the future from the end of that story.

 

“I don’t know about this, gorgeous,” Blaine said, walking slowly through the space and glancing around skeptically.  “There isn’t much in the way of, you know, _walls._ ”

Kurt was undaunted.  He slid the heavy door closed behind him and crossed to stand beside his boyfriend, tangling their fingers together.  “Don’t be so provincial,” Kurt teased, trying hard not to laugh at the dirty look his comment garnered.

“I’m sorry, did you say _provincial_?  Does this look provincial to you?” Blaine asked, gesturing to his torn jeans, combat boots, tight band t-shirt and faded leather jacket.

“Calm down, no one is challenging your bad-assery,” Kurt soothed, patting Blaine on the shoulder with his free hand.  “I just meant that you’re thinking like an Ohioan instead of thinking like a New Yorker.  This is an amazing find, Blaine!  Do you know what we could do with this space? 

“Open a roller rink?” Blaine scoffed.

Kurt gave him a hard glare.  “Work with me, Anderson.  We’ve got a limited budget, and this is the best thing we’ve seen so far.”

In truth, it wasn’t that great, but they hadn’t expected anything fancy for their first place.  It all seemed a bit like a dream that they were here at all.  By some sort of miracle (and, if you asked Kurt, no small amount of badgering on his part to keep Blaine’s nose clean), Blaine graduated from McKinley on time with Kurt, and was accepted to NYU.  For his part, Kurt was over the moon to have been accepted to NYADA to study.  Yes, things were looking up for the unlikely couple.

They’d separated again, Kurt stepping aside to let Blaine explore on his own.  “I guess we could put up some partitions or something to break things up a little,” Blaine mused as he strolled about, not noticing Kurt bouncing up and down as he watched Blaine warm up to the idea. 

“Exactly!  It’ll be great.  I promise.”

Blaine turned and couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his enthusiastic boyfriend.  He held out his hand, beckoning Kurt to him and wrapping his arms around his waist when he did.  “Our own little love nest in Murderville,” he wisecracked, kissing Kurt gently on the cheek.

“It’s not Murderville, Blaine.  It’s Bushwick.”  Blaine arched a thick eyebrow, but kissed Kurt again anyway.

“You haven’t seen the best part.  Come on,” Kurt exclaimed, slipping away from Blaine and dragging him to a door in the corner that Blaine hadn’t noticed.  They ascended a long staircase and Kurt used the apartment key to open the lock on a second door at the top.  “You’re going to like this.”

“I already like the view, beautiful,” Blaine replied.  Kurt turned back to find Blaine staring exactly where he thought he would be. 

“Still a pervert?”

“For you?  Always,” he grinned.

Shaking his head, Kurt turned the door handle and opened the door, surprising Blaine with the blast of fresh air.  He held the door for Blaine to pass through, then put a brick in front of the door that was apparently kept nearby for exactly that purpose.  He took Blaine’s hand and led him across the rooftop to the short wall at the edge. 

The view wasn’t anything spectacular.  This was Bushwick, after all.  But they both understood that it wasn’t about the view. 

“Kurt,” Blaine gasped, nearly breathless.  He tore his eyes from the view to gaze into Kurt’s, surprising both of them with the unexpected tears appearing there. 

Kurt bit his lip, fighting back tears of his own at how this one small gesture had touched Blaine so deeply.  “I thought of you the second I saw this.  It can be your place to go when it all gets to be too much.  It’s not much of a view, but…”

“It’s perfect,” Blaine interrupted, pulling Kurt to him and kissing him soundly on the lips.  They traded kisses for a long while, passionately at first, then more slowly and deeply.   Kurt protested when Blaine pulled away to speak.  “There’s just one thing.   You know how you said this could be _my_ place to go?” Blaine murmured as he continued to pepper small kisses across Kurt’s cheek and jaw.

“Mmm hmm,” Kurt hummed in response, eyes closed.

“I thought this rooftop could maybe be _our_ place to go, instead,” Blaine suggested. 

Kurt opened his eyes in surprise.  “Really?”

“Of course.  Then it really will be perfect.”

Kurt loosened his hold on Blaine enough to turn him around.  They both faced outwards towards the city, Kurt wrapped around Blaine from behind and his head tucked over his shoulder.  The sun was starting to set, faint tinges of gold and pink decorating the sky.  “So, you like our little hideaway in Murderville, then?” he teased.

Blaine crossed his arms over Kurt’s, leaning back into the warmth of his boyfriend’s embrace.  “With you beside me, gorgeous?  Feels like the top of the world.” 


	12. To Know Him Is to Love Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little sappy today. 

 

_Just to see that smile makes my life worthwhile_

Blaine remembers the first time he saw Kurt smile.  Of course he does.  After all, a man doesn’t forget the day he meets the love of his life.

Kurt was so adorably transparent, trying to spy on the Warblers.  Blaine found him sweet and charming, (and couldn’t help but show off a little to the competition, too).  Blaine kept an eye on Kurt throughout their “impromptu” performance (as if the Warblers ever sang anything in public without a dozen hours of meticulous practice).  First, the boy seemed anxious and a bit awkward, as one would when committing show choir espionage.  Blaine saw the moment, though – that moment when Kurt forgot to be anxious and allowed himself to be free and enjoy the performance.

That’s when it happened.  That was when Kurt smiled. 

Blaine thought Kurt was attractive when they met on the staircase.  He thought Kurt was _stunning_ when he smiled.

There would be other smiles as time passed.  There were the shy ones after a flirty Christmas duet.  There was a breathless one after the first time they kissed.  Kurt beamed when he announced to his friends at McKinley he was back, but Blaine was sure that even the sun didn’t shine as brightly as Kurt the day Blaine told him he’d transferred to McKinley, too.

Along with all the happy memories, there were the painful ones, as well.  Blaine soon came to realize that he appreciated the value of Kurt’s smile a little more for having seen his tears.  If he’d been charmed by Kurt’s expression that first day they met, he’d been equally moved the next time they met and Kurt opened up about his troubles with bullies at school.  The tears Kurt cried at prom when he’d been chosen as queen were like knives in his chest. 

Don’t even get Blaine started on the times he himself had been the one to make Kurt cry.  Loving and being loved were incredible gifts; the fact that those gifts walked hand-in-hand with the ability to hurt and be hurt was an irony Blaine would never entirely understand.

Today, however, was a day to focus on the joy.  Today was a day for love, and happiness, and smiles all around.  Today was a day for promises and vows.  Life wouldn’t always be happy.  Blaine knew he could not expect Kurt to smile forever just because they were getting married.  Life doesn’t work like that.  While he would have loved to include in his vows that he would ensure Kurt would never hurt again, that wasn’t realistic.  So, with all the vows and promises he would make to Kurt today, he made one promise to himself:  no matter what, Blaine would always strive to be a reason for Kurt to smile.

_Just to see that smile makes my life worthwhile_   
_To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him_   
_And I do._


	13. You Send Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This turned out to be a sort of companion piece to yesterday’s installment, but from Kurt’s point of view this time.

_At first I thought it was just infatuation  
But oh, it’s lasted so long_

Kurt remembers how he was immediately taken by Blaine when they met.  One Katy Perry song and Kurt was done for.  “I’m in love with him and he’s actually gay,” he’d gushed to Mr. Schue, so excited to say those words aloud.

Of course, he hadn’t truly been in love with Blaine then.  Not yet.  Perhaps it was more of an infatuation at first.  Blaine was the first openly gay boy to show him any positive attention.  How could his head not be turned by that?

Time passed.  Flirty duets were sung, miscommunications and misunderstandings were traded between them.  Then came a kiss, followed by another, followed by a hundred more.  They were young, and in love, and everything was wonderful…until it wasn’t.

Kurt was sure his heart shattered beyond repair that night walking home in New York.  If he hadn’t known he was in love before, he knew it for certain at that moment.  There was no way he could have hurt so badly otherwise.

Reconciliation was followed by another dark, rainy night in the city, but Kurt was the one breaking a heart that time.  Looking back, he realized that despite his actions and his words, he’d actually felt more in love with Blaine than ever.  The enormity of that love was just more than he felt capable of handling, and he fled.

Kurt wasn’t one to believe in miracles.  There was no great spaghetti monster in the sky pulling everyone’s strings or granting wishes.  What he did believe was that some force – perhaps the very bond he shared with Blaine – intervened on his behalf to overcome all the mistakes and make things right.  Now here he stood, hand in hand with Blaine, the one and only man he’d ever truly loved, and he was eagerly, willingly, wholeheartedly and unflinchingly vowing to love him for all eternity. 

It shouldn’t have happened.  After all the tears and heartbreak, after the separations and accusations and wildly bad choices, all of the odds were against them.  There was no logical way to piece together the histories of these two lives and end up here.

Yet, knowing all that he knew, and having felt all that he’d felt, as he looked into Blaine’s hopeful eyes, Kurt could only think one thing…

_Now I find myself wanting to marry you and take you home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for two short introspective chapters in a row.  If you want something lighter, I think Drunk!Blaine is still hanging out in Chapter 10 singing “Truly madly deeply dooooo.”  I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a final prompt tomorrow that inspires me to bring it all home with a killer closing number.


	14. Because You Loved Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting the final chapter for the challenge.  Life got in the way a little bit.  I’m bringing it home with a major dose of the feels. 

 

Kurt stood still in the doorway, his head tilted against the frame.  He gazed into the dimly-lit room, enraptured by the story his husband had just finished reading to their little girl.  Blaine set the book aside, rose from the bed and turned to tuck the little girl in.  There was a kiss on the forehead and a hushed “Good night, angel,” and then he padded barefoot across the room, taking Kurt’s hand and silently closing the door behind him. 

Back downstairs on the couch in the living room, snuggled warm beneath a blanket with a fire crackling in the fireplace, they sat together, enjoying the quiet after a long day.  Kurt shifted in Blaine’s arms, trying to move impossibly closer.  “Blaine?” he said softly.

“Hmm?” Blaine hummed in response, gently stroking Kurt’s arm.

“I know how the rabbit felt,” Kurt continued.

Blaine paused, then adjusted his hold on Kurt so he could face him properly.  “The rabbit?” he echoed.

“You know, the Velveteen Rabbit you were just reading about.  I think I know how he felt.  I mean, I think, in some ways, I _was_ the Velveteen Rabbit,” Kurt went on, reaching out a hand to brush a stray curl from Blaine’s forehead as he did so.

“What do you mean?” Blaine asked, intrigued at where his husband’s train of thought was going.

“Well, I started out new, not really fitting in, not the fanciest or most exciting or popular boy in the world.  Then you came along,” he smiled, cupping Blaine’s cheek with the hand he’d let linger, “and though you didn’t notice me right away, you eventually saw me, and then you loved me.  From that moment on, I became… _real_.  I felt alive, and loved, and cherished – and that was all because you loved me.”

Blaine turned to place a kiss to Kurt’s palm, laughing wetly when Kurt brushed away a fallen tear. 

“Loving you and being loved by you has been the best thing in my life.  It’s had its difficult moments, don’t get me wrong.  I’m a little shabbier in places than I used to be, and it hurt sometimes, but it was all worth it to get here, with you, being _real_.”  Kurt, teary-eyed himself, leaned forward and placed a tender kiss to Blaine’s lips.

Silence fell between them once more, broken only by the sounds of soft kisses now and again. 

“Kurt?” Blaine asked eventually.

“Yes, Blaine?” he responded, resting his head on Blaine’s chest.

“What about the end?” Blaine whispered, his voice nearly cracking.  “The rabbit has to leave the boy to become real to everyone.”  He instinctively tightened his hold. 

Kurt looked up again, his eyes fierce with love and determination.  “I’d like to see them try to take me away.  I could never be more real than I am when I’m with you.”  His lips quirked up into a smile as he remembered something he’d said long ago.  Leaning up to steal another kiss, he murmured, “I’m never saying goodbye to you.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So ends my fourth consecutive year participating in the Klaine CrissColfer Valentine’s Challenge.  I hope you enjoyed these stories.  As for this chapter, if you have never read “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams, or have not read it recently, I highly suggest you do.  You can find the whole thing online for free.  I purposefully did not quote the story here to avoid any copyright infringement issues, but there are some truly beautiful lines in this truly beautiful story.  To quote Meg Ryan in “You’ve Got Mail,” read it with a box of Kleenex.
> 
> Thank you for reading.  As always, be kind to yourselves and to one another. 

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t usually participate in the Superbowl Squares game at my office, so if I got the details wrong, please forgive me.  I think I got the gist of it, though I know sometimes they do prizes for quarter scores and halftime scores, etc.  I didn’t think it was worth getting into that much detail here.  After all, Kurt and Blaine are going to have a date!  Who cares about squares????


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